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The GTU boasts one of the largest contingents of female theology students and alumnae in the country. Beginning on International Women's Day 2018 and continuing for more than six weeks, we featured a different quote from one of our alumnae each weekday on social media--and we've collected them all on this page. Thanks to all who took the time to share their stories!
The GTU is proud of the work of all its female scholars--past, present, and future--and we look forward to seeing how you will continue to shape our world and make it a better place!

The Borsch-Rast Book Prize and Lectureship of the Graduate Theological Union has as its purpose the encouragement of the writing and publication of theological scholarship by GTU graduates and current faculty. The endowment for the Borsch-Rast Book Prize and Lectureship comes from the sale of Trinity Press International, a venture dedicated to the publication of scholarly and often interdisciplinary theological studies. The prize and lectureship honor the joint example and collaboration of Frederick Houk Borsch (1935-2017) and Harold W. Rast (1933-2004). Hal Rast, after years as a senior...

The Borsch-Rast Book Prize and Lectureship of the Graduate Theological Union has as its purpose the encouragement of the writing and publication of theological scholarship by GTU graduates and current faculty. The endowment for the Borsch-Rast Book Prize and Lectureship comes from the sale of Trinity Press International, a venture dedicated to the publication of scholarly and often interdisciplinary theological studies. The prize and lectureship honor the joint example and collaboration of Frederick Houk Borsch (1935-2017) and Harold W. Rast (1933-2004). Hal Rast, after years as a senior...

A unique partnership between the Graduate Theological Union and the University of California, Berkeley, creates unparalleled opportunities for students at both schools. The cooperative relationship means students in many UCB degree programs -- including both graduate students and upper-division undergraduates -- are eligible with their advisor's approval to cross-register for courses at the GTU, at no additional cost. The GTU library at 2400 Ridge Road and most of our classrooms are just a five-minute walk north of the Cal campus.
The GTU is the most comprehensive center for the graduate...

“I am enduringly grateful to CTNS and to the vision and initiative of its founder and director, Robert John Russell. I know of no other center in the world that is making such a significant contribution to the creative dialogue between science and religion.”
-- Ian G. Barbour

Originally funded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation in 2016-2017, the Interreligious Collaborative Research Projects are available to teams comprised of at least three researchers (at least one GTU student) under the supervision of a GTU Core Doctoral Faculty member. The project must be completed with collaboration amongst the research team and include two or more traditions. Each team will be awarded $5000 to support their research and faculty mentors will be awarded $1000 for their contribution.
The following criteria will be applied to determine winning proposals:
At least one...

A unique partnership between the Graduate Theological Union and the University of California, Berkeley, creates unparalleled opportunities for GTU students and faculty. The cooperative relationship with this world-class university just a five-minute walk from our campus enables GTU students to cross register for courses at UC Berkeley, to access university libraries, and to enhance their studies through the incorporation of university disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, linguistics, ethnic studies, and Near Eastern studies.
The collaborative relationship with the UC Berkeley has...

The Board of Trustees of the Graduate Theological Union has received notice that Dr. Riess Potterveld will retire at the end of June 2018 after five years as president of the GTU.
The Graduate Theological Union has accomplished much during the tenure of President Potterveld, and the Board is grateful for his dedicated service and leadership. New developments at the GTU under Dr. Potterveld’s presidency include the rapid growth of the GTU interreligious model, the creation of the Center for Dharma Studies; the first offerings of Jain and Sikh courses; the establishment of new interreligious...

The Graduate Theological Union has adopted a new doctoral curriculum beginning in fall 2016 that builds on the strengths of the existing program while enhancing opportunities for interdisciplinary scholarship and interreligious conversation among students and faculty.
Dean Arthur Holder says, “With this new curriculum, the faculty is making the doctoral program more responsive to the diverse research interests and religious commitments that students bring to the GTU. Graduates of the program will now be even better prepared for their vocations of teaching, ministry, and service. And the...

Some GTU courses may be of interest to community patrons or non-matriculated students who wish to take the course for personal fulfillment. Such courses may be linked to a regular for-credit course or may be completely independent. These courses do not come with an academic credit that can be counted toward a degree or certificate at the GTU.
Community patrons who are not currently enrolled in a degree program at the GTU can identify, register, and pay for such courses using the continuing education module of SONIS. The fee to take a standard 3-unit course though the GTU’s community...

You can connect to the GTU course schedule here. Using the search screen, you can locate courses by:
semester
subject
faculty member
time or place
keyword
course level
or location.
If you have a question about the content of the course schedule, contact the Consortial Registrar's Office at 510/649-2462.
Technical Problems
If you are trying to access the Course Schedule outside of the GTU and get a 'Page Cannot Be Displayed' message or other error, it may be the result of unexpected server problems at the GTU. This may also be caused by Internet connection problems...

GTU doctoral students must comply with policies and requirements included in the GTU Catalog in place at the time they matriculate into the doctoral program. The Area protocols below apply to students who began the doctoral program in Spring 2015 or before, prior to the GTU's adoption of its current doctoral curriculum. Click here to learn more about the current doctoral program.
In general, the GTU Catalog describes “what” a student must do to earn a doctoral degree. Area protocols include Area-specific requirements and policies, but also describe “how” students meet program requirements....

The Graduate Theological Union’s main library, the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library in Berkeley, is at the heart of the GTU campus both physically and intellectually. The library building was designed by Louis Kahn, the “architect of light,” and features the distinctive skylight that inspired our GTU logo. We also have a branch library located in the North Bay, on the campus of the San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) in San Anselmo. Both libraries have places for collaboration and group work, silent study, and a helpful staff.

The flagship degree that the GTU offers is the PhD. It is an advanced academic degree intended to prepare students for professional careers in teaching, writing, and scholarship, as well as for leadership opportunities with religious organizations, social service agencies, foundations, museums, libraries, publishing, and in educational institutions.

Madrasa-Midrasha, a program sponsored by the Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies and the Center for Islamic Studies, seeks to advance study, dialogue, and understanding on Jewish and Islamic texts and contexts within academia and the larger public sphere. The program offers workshops, lectures, panels, and courses that explore the richness, diversity, differences, and commonalities of Jewish and Islamic traditions. Participants study and learn about the two traditions through texts and as well as lived practice.
Since the program’s inception in 2008, a range of themes and topics have...

On May 10, 2018, the Graduate Theological Union honored forty-three MA and PhD graduates at its 2018 Commencement Exercises held in the LeConte Sanctuary at Zaytuna College. Graduates are listed below by degree, along with each graduate's thesis/dissertation title, area of study or school of affiliation, committee members, and thesis/dissertation abstract; language specialization is noted for MABL graduates in lieu of thesis information.

Established in 2003, the GTU Excellence in Teaching Award (formerly the Sarlo Excellence in Teaching Award) is given annually to a member of the GTU core doctoral faculty who embodies in an exemplary manner the values of interreligious sensitivity and commitment, interdisciplinary approach and content in teaching, sensitivity to ethnic and cultural diversity, and creative and effective classroom pedagogical methods and performance.
Below you will find a listing of winners of this annual award.
Year
Awardee
2003
Judith Berling
2004
Fumitaka...

The GTU’s curriculum highlights the ecumenical, interreligious, and interdisciplinary strengths of the GTU, and enhances opportunities for both specialization and cross-disciplinary study. Students entering the doctoral program or the MA program at the GTU can choose their fields of study from among more than thirty concentrations grouped into four interdisciplinary departments.

On Thursday, May 10, 2018, the Graduate Theological Union honored forty-three graduates at its 2018 Commencement Exercises. The graduating class included twenty-three scholars receiving the Doctor of Philosophy degree, nineteen receiving the Master of Arts degree, and one receiving the Master of Arts with a concentration in Biblical Languages. This year’s commencement exercises were held in the Le Conte Sanctuary at Zaytuna College. You can watch a replay of the live video stream above, or review the list of graduates and their thesis or dissertation topics.
The graduates entered the...

An institution of higher learning unlike any other, the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley brings together scholars of the world’s diverse religions and wisdom traditions to advance new knowledge, share inspiration, and collaborate on solutions.